Berta Cabral defends that logistics platforms are very important for Azorean islands - Communication

Secretaria Regional do Turismo, Mobilidade e Infraestruturas

The Regional Secretary for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructures, Berta Cabral, stressed today in Ponta Delgada the importance of logistics platforms for the Azorean islands, considering the "discontinuity and territorial dispersion" of the Azores.

Berta Cabral spoke on behalf of the President of the Government at the presentation of the new cold storage unit of the Transinsular Açores Logistics Centre, owned by the ETE Group, stressing that these centres "play a key role in the supply and subsistence of the population, and the local economic development."

"These are strategic spaces for promoting territorial and social cohesion, through the storage and coordinated distribution of essential goods and commodities, both in import and export flows," she emphasised. 

According to her, "it is undeniable that, given the impossibility of establishing economies of scale and large-scale production, Azorean producers need to focus on quality and added value to compete in external markets."

However, Berta Cabral noted the importance of creating "opportunities and conditions for the distribution of local products, particularly perishables and fresh produce, through the installation of new facilities such as this cold storage unit and the use of advanced technology, particularly real-time management and tracking systems to boost efficiency in the logistics chain."

The Regional Secretary also highlighted the doubling of the cold storage capacity of the Transinsular Açores Logistics Centre, an investment that will harness the potential of Transinsular's operations and boost the company's competitiveness and the efficiency of trade to and from the Region.

Berta Cabral "thanked the ETE Group and Transinsular, in particular, for their long-standing commitment to the Autonomous Region of the Azores."

"For more than 30 years, Transinsular has played a vital role in supplying our islands. A role that is deeply respected and valued by companies and the Regional Government, as they are well aware of its importance for the local economy and our internal cohesion," she stressed.

As she pointed out, the Azorean economy has grown consistently and uninterruptedly, largely due to the increase in the travelling population due to the unprecedented tourism growth, which naturally creates greater demands on the supply of our communities.

About 99% of goods entering the Azores are transported by sea. In 2023, more than 2.5 million tonnes were handled in the archipelago's ports, representing a growth of 8% compared to 2019.

"These are clear signs of the vitality and potential of our economy, which naturally requires solid, modern and flexible logistics infrastructures just as much as it requires reliable, regular and frequent maritime transport of goods," she said. In this regard, she urged the ETE Group to continually invest in the Azores, creating ever-better conditions of reliability, efficiency and capacity in transporting, storing and distributing goods.